National outlet sees freshman Gideon Davidson as Clemson football's 2025 MVP

Gideon Davidson could be key to a balanced Clemson offense in 2025.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Sunday, April 20 2025

How exactly to view the Clemson running back position this season is up for debate, certainly from national pundits.

Clemson has six scholarship running backs with the addition of Gideon Davidson and veteran WR-turned-tailback Adam Randall. Freshman Marquise Henderson was a standout running back in high school as well but currently has an athlete moniker, with defense a possibility.

One outlet said the Tigers should turn to the transfer portal for stability with no known No. 1 out of spring practice, but another CBS Sports piece says the answer arrived this spring in Davidson.

Not only that, Davidson was tabbed as the MVP for the whole Clemson team in 2025.

"This is a real out-of-the-box pick, but the path is wide open for Davidson to start for a national title contender as a true freshman," said Will Backus. "Not only that; there's a real chance that Davidson becomes a bell cow for the Tigers. Phil Mafah is gone, Jay Haynes is working his way back from a torn ACL and likely won't be able to practice until closer to the season, and Keith Adams Jr. has 43 carries in three years of football. If Davidson can take advantage of his opportunities in the spring and fall, he'll fill arguably the biggest need on an otherwise solid and experienced roster."

Davidson earned the national Junior of the Year honor in 2023 from MaxPreps with 2,795 yards on 217 carries for an average of 12.9 yards per carry, tallying 43 rushing scores.

He was credited with 2,341 rushing yards on 264 attempts for an 8.9-yard average as a senior, scoring 37 touchdowns there. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Virginia and the MaxPreps Virginia High School Football Player of the Year in 2024.

As of the early signing period, Davidson was ranked as high as the No. 62 overall player in the nation and the No. 2 running back for the 2025 class.